Oshodi murder: He earlier attempted to kill my mother twice —SON

Lagos—Distraught children of late Roselyn Osiugie, the woman that was allegedly murdered by her husband last Friday in Oshodi area of Lagos, have revealed that their father had earlier attempted to take their mother’s life on two occasions.

This is just as the family of the deceased alleged that the suspect, Jafar Osiugie, 50, killed her for ritual purpose.

The last attempt on their mother’s life, according to the children, happened two weeks ago.

Late Rose and husband

The children alleged that on one of the occasions, their father, pinned their mother down and held her by the neck, forcing her to defecate on herself. But the 50-year-old suspect was said to have released his grip when his eldest son, Collins, 19, stumbled on the scene.
About two weeks ago, Collins alleged, he met his father trying to suffocate his 46-year-old mother with a pillow.

He said: “Immediately I entered the room, he was shocked and asked what I was doing there?”
Speaking with Vanguard, younger brother to the deceased, Mr. Israel Imomoh, said: “Everything points to ritual killing. First, he (Jafar) never ate with the wife until that day. He was not usually home either.

“My late sister always drank tea before retiring to bed. On that day he was the one that prepared the tea. From all indications, it is obvious that he drugged her tea because she did not put up any resistance while he was cutting her neck.

“After the incident, he tried to burn down the house to make it seem like a fire incident. He even struck some match sticks on the mattress, which refused to ignite. Some of the sticks were found at the scene.

“We were informed that he announced that he was travelling to the village and from there to Abuja. He borrowed N6,000 from his relatives, saying he had got a job in Abuja. We learned from the children that he had made several attempts to kill her until he finally succeeded last Friday.

“I was living with her. In fact, she trained me. But I had to leave because of her husband’s behaviour. If I had known this would happen, I would have remained there. She played the role of mother and father to us since we lost our parents.”

Police on guard in hospital
Meanwhile, policemen are guarding the 50-year- old suspect at the Falomo General Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, where he was said to be lying unconscious.

A reliable police source said: “Jafar Osiugie, who hails from Edo State, is still lying unconscious at the hospital. Our men are also there guarding him.”

Vanguard learned that doctors were still trying to revive the suspect, who reportedly became unconscious shortly after he was taken into custody last Friday at the Lagos State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, CIID.

It was gathered that the suspect initially acted as if he was insane by shouting “chemical, chemical, I am dying.” Thereafter, he was reportedly unable to stand without support, before he collapsed.

One of his relatives, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, debunked claims by the Imomohs that Jafar killed their daughter.
He said: “My brother told me that his wife, who sells at Ijora market, was indebted to some people and that they were calling her at midnight, demanding for their money.

“He told me that they are the ones that killed his wife and forced a poisonous substance into his mouth.”